Shire



(N Model) 2 Shets-Sheet 1.

T. F. WELLS. POWER WRBNGH.

! No..- 418,098. Patented Dec. 24, 1889.

Tzns. Phulo Lilhographon Washington. 0. c

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. F. WELLS. POWER WRENCH.

N0.'418 ()-98. Patented Dec. 24,1889.

n m u f MTNEEEE la 3- W W J UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS F. \VELLS, OF WINCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THEMECHANICAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NASHUA, NEWV IIAMP- SHIRE.

POWER-WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 418,098, dated December24, 1889. Application filed July 1, 1889. Serial No. 316,141. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS F. WELns, of Winchester, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Power- WVrenches, of which the following is aspecifition.

My invention has relation to powerwrenches, so called, and particularlyto ID wrenches designed for turning the nuts of fish-plate bolts andother nuts and bolts requiring great power to start them or to make themtight.

It is the object of my invention to provide a power-wrench for thepurposes mentioned which shall be comparatively light in weightand'small in bulk, so that it may be readily transported from point topoint or place to place, and at the same time possess maximum strengthand efficiency.

As is well known by those skilled in the art, the force required to makenuts wrenchtight on the bolts offish-plates and to start them out afterthey have once become rusted on to any considerable extent is verygreat, and oftentimes more than can be exerted by one man with anordinary device, and in order to render a machine capable ofwithstanding the strain that is put upon it it must be 0 made verystrong. As these machines when in use must be moved about frequentlyfrom place to place, it is desirable that they should be as I light inweight and small in bulk as may be, and that they may not get out of 3 5order easily or be readily broken it is necessary that their structureshould be as simple as possible.

I11 contriving my invention the foregoing and other necessities,discovered by expe- 0 rience, were kept in mind, and the difficultiesand objections noted have been avoided or overcome by my improvements,which consist of a construction, as hereinafter described and claimed,whereby the power applied to 5 the machine is exerted directly upon thewrench and as near the nut as possible in making a nut wrench-tight orstarting itout on a bolt, and in the work running a nut on or off a boltthe strain is likewise brought near the wrench, so that only the latterand its adjacent part or parts need be made of great strength or weight.At the same time the power expended is more effectively employed whenapplieddirectly upon the wrench than whedreceived from a remote point ofsuch machine as it is practical to employ.

Reference is to be had to the annexed drawings and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, the same letters designating the same parts orfeatures, as the case may be, wher- 6o ever they occur'.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvedpower-wrench. Fig. 2is atop plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal vertical section of a part of the same and of arailway-rail, fish-plates, bolts, and nut, showing the manner of usingthe device. Fig. -i is a front end view. Fig. 5 is a sectional diagramtaken on the line 5 5, Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow.Fig. 6 is also a sectional diagram taken on the line 6 6, Fig.

3, and also looking in the direction of the arrow. I

In the drawings, ct'designates the bed or base plate, which should be ofsufficient strength and breadth to support the parts of the machine andafford a support for theoperators feet, when necessary, as hereinafterexplained.

b are upright standards supported on the bed, in which standards issuitablyjournaled the wrench-shaft 0, provided 011 its forward end witha strong wrench (I, having a socket e of suitable size and form toreceive the nuts f on the fish-plate bolts g.

h is a ratchet-wheel keyed upon or otherwise affixed to the wrench-shaftc, as near the wrench cl as may be convenient, desirably next to theforward standard I) on the side opposite that upon which the wrenchoper- 9o ates, as shown.

2' is a strong collar adapted to turn loosely on the shaft, to anappropriate part of which collar is pivoted a reversible pawl j,arranged to engage the teeth of the ratchet-wheel h. The collar 1' maybe weighted at its lower side, as at It, to normally keep the side towhich the pawl is pivoted upward, and this upper side of the collar isprovided with radial sockets l.

The wrench (Z is provided with radial sockets m. V n designates a leveradapted to be inserted in the socket of the wrench d or collar 1'. Ifind it convenient toconstruct one end of this lever so that it will fitthe sockets m, and adapt the other to the sockets Z.

In the use of my improved machine, supposing a nut is to be screwed upona fishplate bolt, the device is placed upon the ground or sills or ties,and so as that the wrench-socket may engage the nut, which m ay havebeen started on the bolt by hand. The lever n is now placed in one ofthe sockets Z of the collar 1', and the pawl j being properly adjusted,the operator by merely oscillating the lever may turn the nut home. Inorder to make the nut tight, or as tight as is desirable or essential onwork of this kind, great force is necessary, and a force, too, greaterthan the means used to run on or turn up the nut, or than the torsionalstrain of the wrench-shaft will withstand, and to meet the exegenciesofthe case and eifect the mentioned necessary end the operator may removethe lever n from the collar i and insert it in the radial sockets m ofthe wrench d, when one or more persons taking hold of saidlever may turnup the nut with powerfulforce, as will be understood without 'further' description.

In taking off nuts from the bolts of fishplates the'same operation willbe performed as in turning them on, excepting that the wrench-shaft andwrench will be operated in improved machine it will be seen that but fewparts are necessary in its construction, and the strain in its operationbeing brought as near as may be to the nut being operated upon onlythese parts need be of great weight or bulk.

The means wherebyI am enabled to apply force or leverage directly uponthe wrench in making the nut-wrench tight is particularly important,since I am thereby enabled to fully utilize the power or force exerted,avoid any torsional strain on the wrench-shaft as well as undue strainon other parts of the machine not capable of withstanding the same.

I do nothereinbroadly claim the mechanism shown and described forsecuring a rapid movement of a nut and increased power to start ortighten such a nut, since the same forms part of a pending applicationfor patent, Serial No. 332,066, filed November 29, 1889. This mechanismincludes the socketed wrench head, the wrench shaft having aratchet-wheel, and a collar provided with sockets having connection withsaid ratchetwheel.

Having thus explained the nature of my invention and described a way ofconstructing and using the same, I deel'are-that whatI claim l. Thecombination, with the wrench, wrench-shaft and its support, of aratchetwheel fast on the shaft, a collar provided with radial! socketsand weighted in its lower part, as at 7r, loose on the shaft, areversible pawl pivotedupon said collar and adaptedto engage saidratchet-wheel, and a lever insertible in the sockets of said weightedcollar to operate the latter, as set forth.

2. The herein-describedimproved wrench, comprising the combination,withthe bed or base, of the wrench having a seriesof radial sockets, awrenclrshaft having its supports connected with said bed ,theratchet-wheel fast on said shaft, a collar loose ontlie shaft andweighted in its lower part' and provided with a series of sockets, a'reversible pawl pivoted upon said collar and adapted to engage saidratchet with said collar, and thelever insertible in the sookets'ofsaidwren ch and weighted collar, substantially asset forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, inthepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 28th day of June, A. D.1889;

THOMAS F. wELLs.

Vitnesses:

ARTHUR W. CRossLEY, .O. F. BROWN.

